How the Cardio Machines Compare

Which cardio workout is your favorite? Can't choose one? Now you can.

I've done some research, and coupled with the knowledge from my own experience, here's some info about the cardio exercises you can do on machines at your gym:

running
calories burned: high
muscles toned: high
bulk added : low
Running is a great way to burn fat off your entire body, and tone the muscles underneath. You will get a very tight body with long lean muscles, without bulking them up too much. Most effects will be seen in the lower body. Many calories can be burned in a very short period of time. Incline can be added if you want to build muscle to your thighs or butt. Downsides can be the fact that running tires you out quickly, and can cause joint pain.


walking
calories burned: low
muscles toned: medium
bulk added: low
Walking is an option for you if running is too hard on your knees. The best way to get results from walking is to power-walk. You actually have to push yourself and walk fast to see results; not just a nice stroll around the block. You will not bulk up from walking, but can achieve some muscle tone. Most effects will be seen in the lower body. No joint pain should come from walking. Only downside is that at the speed you will have to walk to increase your heart rate to a fat-burning level, it may seem awkward and may not be sustainable for a long period of time.


jogging
calories burned: medium
muscles toned: medium
bulk added: low
Jogging is the happy medium to running and walking. It is easier to sustain for long periods of time than running or power-walking. Most effects will be seen in the lower body. It will tone your muscles, although not as efficiently as running will, and will not cause bulk. It may be just as bad for your knees as running though, because of the gate people take on when they jog. Try to drift forward rather than the bouncy, up-and-down jog.


elliptical
calories burned: medium
muscles toned: medium
bulk added: low
The elliptical is made for those who want to run or jog, but have bad knees. It has about the same effects as jogging, as far as calories and toning, but will not cause joint stress. If used correctly, it can help tone more than just your legs, since there are handles that can be pushed and pulled for a nice arm workout. Be careful though, it's easy to get lazy on the elliptical because it's so smooth and easy to do. Remember to check your heart rate often, to make sure that you're in your fat-burning zone.


stepper
calories burned: high
muscles toned: high
bulk added : medium
The stepper is a high intensity workout and will really challenge you. It will tone your body, burn a large quantity of calories, and add muscle to your thighs and butt. If you are trying to achieve a bigger, rounder butt, this is probably the workout you want to do. Fat-burning heart rate is pretty easy to maintain on a stepper, but you may not be able to do the exercise for long periods of time.


biking
calories burned: low
muscles toned: medium
bulk added : medium
The stationary bike is an easy exercise to do if you want to sit down and read a magazine while you workout. Even though you can sustain it for a long time, it does not burn as many calories as most cardio exercise, because you are sitting down, and only using your legs. This said, it is good if you feel your thighs are too skinny, because the bike, set on a high resistance setting, can add some bulk to your thighs. It will also tones both your legs and butt. No real effects on upper body, since it is not really being used, other than to sit up straight.


rowing
calories burned: high
muscles toned: high
bulk added : low
Rowing is great because it tones your whole body at once, and burns a high amount of calories. It does not add bulk, and does not put wear on your joints. You will see the effects of rowing on both your upper and lower body. It burns slightly less calories than running, but works on more muscle groups at once.